The reality of the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2020 hasn’t really had a chance to settle in just yet — mainly because the induction ceremony has been placed on the back burner amid the ongoing coronoavirus pandemic. But while the class of 2020 has yet to have their day in the spotlight, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is already beginning their preparations to decide on the class of 2021 — Modern-era nominees for next year’s class have been revealed.
For the Miami Dolphins, there are several prominent names that are on the 130-player list. Here are all of the the former Miami Dolphins to make the earliest of cuts.
Zach Thomas
Thomas should be a familiar face for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, given that he was a finalist for the Class of 2020 and has been a regular in the voting process for the past several years. Thomas served as the cerebral heartbeat of Miami’s defense and his intelligence on the field earned him the respect of peers such as Peyton Manning and Kevin Mawae — both of whom are in the Hall of Fame already.
Wes Welker
Welker’s Hall of Fame caliber career was accelerated by his time in New England with the Patriots and accentuated with his time in Denver with the Broncos. But Welker’s first 96 career receptions and first career touchdown came as a member of the Miami Dolphins — an easy to forget fact after watching him torch Miami for so long as the staple slot receiver in New England.
Keith Jackson
Jackson made the most of his accolades during his career in Philadelphia — he started out as a three time All-Pro honoree in his first three seasons with the Eagles. But he was equally as productive during a three year stint in Miami from 1992-1994; averaging 6 touchdowns per season and over 625 receiving yards per year with the Dolphins as a big addition to Miami’s offense.
Jackson couldn’t help the Dolphins get over the hump in their bid for a Super Bowl in the early 1990s, but he was an ‘as advertised’ addition to the team before finishing his successful career in Green Bay.
Richmond Webb
Dan Marino’s blind-side blocker will probably be reserved for the “Hall of Very Good” but there’s no doubt Marino would vouch for Webb in the Hall of Fame. He took 163 starts at left tackle for the Dolphins and was named to seven Pro Bowls and twice named first-team All-Pro.
Joey Porter
Porter’s Hall of Fame resume was built in Pittsburgh, make no mistake about that. Porter finished his career with 98.0 sacks, coming up just short of triple digits. But while Porter’s 8 seasons in Pittsburgh formed his reputation, Porter was a more productive pass rusher during his three-year stint with the Dolphins, particularly his 17.5 sack effort in 2008 when the Dolphins managed to wrestle away the AFC East division title from the Patriots.
In all, 32 of Porter’s 98 sacks came with the Dolphins before he finished his career in Arizona.
Troy Vincent
Vincent’s career started with the Dolphins and he quickly developed a reputation of being a ball-hawk, producing 14 interceptions over his four seasons with Miami. From there, he left for Philadelphia and was one of the best cornerbacks in the game — making every Pro Bowl between 1999 and 2003. Vincent logged an NFL best 7 interceptions in 1999 and during that stretch of five straight Pro Bowls he logged 20 interceptions and 91 passes defensed.
Reggie Roby
Roby punted for the Dolphins for a decade, serving as the team’s specialist from 1983 through the end of the 1992 season. From there, Roby bounced around the league and had stops in Tampa Bay, Houston/Tennessee, Washington and San Francisco. During his time in Miami he was twice named to the Pro Bowl and honored as a first-team All-Pro in 1984.
Matt Turk
Turk didn’t give his best years of his career to the Dolphins, but his kicking career did last across three decades from 1996 to 2011. Turk’s stint as the Dolphins punter came over a five year stretch — two separate two year stops with a one year stint with the New York Jets sandwiched in between. All of Turk’s accolades came early in his career with Washington.
